← News · Published 20 August 2026
The councils hardest to win a planning appeal against.
Some councils rarely have a householder refusal overturned on appeal. Using Planning Inspectorate decision data for householder (HAS) appeals over the past 12 months, we ranked every council in England with at least 20 decided appeals by lowest appeal success rate — the share of appeals the Inspectorate allowed.
A low rate here isn't a black mark against a council — it's effectively the opposite. It suggests these councils' refusals are well-evidenced and consistent with policy often enough that the Inspectorate agrees with them the vast majority of the time. If your council is on this list, it doesn't mean your case is hopeless, but it does mean a strong, well-evidenced appeal matters more than usual. Get a free review of your own case before you commit to appealing.
Councils with the lowest householder appeal success rate
Ranked by the percentage of householder (HAS) appeals allowed by the Planning Inspectorate, among councils with 20 or more decided appeals in the past 12 months — lowest first.
| Rank | Council | Decisions | Allowed | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council | 20 | 1 | 5.0% |
| 2 | Sheffield City Council | 20 | 2 | 10.0% |
| 3 | Luton Borough Council | 23 | 3 | 13.0% |
| 4 | City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council | 39 | 6 | 15.4% |
| 5 | London Borough of Croydon | 27 | 5 | 18.5% |
| 5 | Waltham Forest London Borough Council | 27 | 5 | 18.5% |
| 7 | London Borough of Harrow | 31 | 7 | 22.6% |
| 8 | Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council | 22 | 5 | 22.7% |
| 9 | Leeds City Council | 78 | 18 | 23.1% |
| 10 | Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead | 27 | 7 | 25.9% |
What a low success rate actually means
A council's overall appeal success rate reflects how consistently its planning committee and officers apply policy across many different schemes — extensions, loft conversions, outbuildings, and more. A low rate generally means this council's refusals tend to hold up well when tested by an independent Planning Inspector, not that appeals are pointless.
These councils may simply be more consistent and better-evidenced in how they apply local policy, which naturally leaves less room for an Inspector to disagree.
If your council is on this list
It's still entirely possible to win — national averages describe the council, not your specific scheme. What matters is whether your refusal reasons are genuinely well-founded, or whether your case has something the council's decision didn't fully account for.
Request a free case review and we'll give you an honest read on your prospects before your case moves to our no win, no fee route.
Common questions about low council success rates
Does a low success rate mean I shouldn't bother appealing?
Not necessarily. It means the average appeal against this council doesn't succeed — but averages don't account for the specific strengths or weaknesses of your case. A free review can tell you where your case actually stands.
Why do some councils have such low overturn rates?
Usually because their refusal decisions are consistently well-evidenced and closely aligned with local and national planning policy, leaving the Inspectorate less room to disagree. It can also reflect a more cautious or risk-averse approach to close-call applications.
Is Leeds City Council's number accurate given how high it looks?
Yes — Leeds simply processes a much larger volume of householder appeals than most councils, being one of the largest local authorities in England. Its 23.1% rate is calculated exactly the same way as every other council on this list, from 78 decided appeals in the past 12 months.
How does this compare to the councils with the highest success rate?
See our companion article: the 10 councils with the highest householder appeal success rate.
Get an honest view of your own case
Send us your refusal and we'll tell you how similar cases have fared on appeal — not just the council average.